Who knew 17 years could go so fast? By the time it takes to send a kid to college, I’ve been toiling, mostly joyfully, at the Chronicle and SFGate.com. I am headed to KNBR 680-AM, where I will also be making radio appearances and occasionally filling in as a co-host and continuing as part of …

If Daniels’ history is a guide, however, it’s doubtful the professional stage will be too big for him – even if that playbook is a monster. A seventh-round pick from South Florida, Daniels starred in the midst of a baptism by fire as an 18-year-old freshman. …

During the first practice of his fledgling football career, 49ers defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye got a few defensive calls wrong. After practice, he made another mistake, of sorts, that was a reminder of his one-of-a-kind background. …

Today, McDonald, who is, indeed, sporting No. 89, admitted he’d yet to investigate the gridiron exploits of Ditka, 73, whose last season was in 1972, 18 years before McDonald was born. At the moment, McDonald seems to think Ditka, who played for the Bears, Eagles and Cowboys, was a legend with the 49ers. …

The 49ers hope the similarities between Jean Francois and Dial, a fifth-round pick from Alabama, extend to the NFL. Jean Francois, a seventh-round pick from LSU, performed his backup duties so capably that he signed a four-year, $22 million deal with Indianapolis in March. …